Workstation laptop suggestions

Erebus

Erebus

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Oct 7, 2003
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I've been out of the laptop loop for quite a while, so I'm mainly looking for some general suggestions. I've been given a budget of ~$1500-1600 to spec out a work laptop. What would you guys suggest looking at?

Here are my requirements / job duties:

- $1600 budget, not including case, docking station, warranty extension, shipping etc

- I'll be traveling a lot, so light is great but not absolutely necessary. I'd rather lug around additional weight if it means my workstation is top notch (ie I don't want to sacrifice too much performance for weight savings).

- Windows only

- 15 inch screen with as high a resolution as reasonable / possible in the budget

- Quad core i7 preferred, 8GB ram

- I'll be doing a lot of CAD work, and this will be my "desktop" at work and will be connected to multiple external monitors. Because of this I'm thinking NVidia Quadro or ATI Firepro discrete graphics if possible

- Mechanical drive is fine, I'll probably replace it with an SSD on my own dime, thinking ~500GB

- Backlit keyboard a bonus but not required, as is 10 key

So far I've been looking at the Dell Precision M3800, M4800, and XPS 15. I just want to make sure I'm not missing some other workstation style laptops from other manufacturers that I'm not familiar with.
 
I have a Dell M4800. I got it with the 1080p screen, but there is also an option for a 4k screen.

As for only 8GB of RAM in a machine that is used for CAD work. Not a good idea at all. You will want a minimum of 16GB of RAM. We tried that initially and it was not pretty.

$1600 for a good workstation is going to be pretty hard to do unless you snag a really good deal.

Oh, screw the M4800. Just go get a M4600 off of Ebay for about $500 + shipping.

(full list):
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR8.TRC1.A0.H0.Xdell+m4600.TRS0&_nkw=dell+m4600&_sacat=0

($500 for one with the higher end Quadro card available at the time, 256SSD, 2.5 Quad, 8GB RAM)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELL-Precision-M4600-i7-2860Q-QC-2-5-15-6-8GB-256-SSD-DVDRW-NVIDIA-2000M-/191603852838?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9c7ac626

It is still going to be plenty fast for CAD work.

If you absolutely must get a brand new one, expect to be spending $2400 - $2600.

From Ebay, you can get a loaded refurb M4800 for $1500
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELL-PRECISION-M4800-i7-4810MQ-16GB-512GB-SSD-1080P-K2100M-WEBCAM-BLUETOOTH-8PRO-/351425661776?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51d29a0b50
 
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Lenovo W550s Mobile Workstation.

Do my patented "Upgrade the shit you can't actually upgrade aftermarket NOW and skimp on everything else that you CAN upgrade" tradeoff methodology.

Upgrade the CPU to the 3.2Ghz i7-5600U +$140
Upgrade the monitor to the non-touch 15.6" 3K (2880x1620) IPS display +$200
Upgrade the primary 6-Cell battery to the 72Wh variant +$10

$1512 before tax and shipping

DO NOT UPGRADE THE RAM FROM 4GB.
Simply go to Crucial and get a 16GB kit for $120 (Lenovo wants $100 for a single 8GB SODIMM and $250 for 16GB).
http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/thinkpad-w550s/CT6943052

Keep the default 500GB drive as a starter.
When you have the spare cash, upgrade to an SSD of the same size for $140-180 and then clone it over.

There's an optional 3-Cell Internal Battery add-on pack that can extend system uptime up to 17 hours. For $45, you may want to give it a little consideration.

When you upgrade the RAM and HD, hold onto the parts you pull out.
If you ever need to use Warranty service, pull your upgrades and stuff the original parts back in.
 
Thank you for the suggestions (keep 'em coming if you have more recommendations).

Unfortunately I don't think I can do the eBay/refurb ones, but I appreciate those suggestions.
 
I'm not even going to bother linking the models, because you will have to pick through and customize it, but the Lenovo Carbons are pretty nice. very slim and lightly weight. Ultrabook class. They do have i7s and some big power.
 
dave3533 said:
Unfortunately I don't think I can do the eBay/refurb ones, but I appreciate those suggestions.
Click to expand...


As someone who was well and thoroughly ass-raped with a telephone pole by a seller who was trafficking stolen merchandise doing just this, I would not recommend buying any sort of expensive personal computers over eBay.
 
dave3533 said:
Thank you for the suggestions (keep 'em coming if you have more recommendations).

Unfortunately I don't think I can do the eBay/refurb ones, but I appreciate those suggestions.
Click to expand...

Chas said:
As someone who was well and thoroughly ass-raped with a telephone pole by a seller who was trafficking stolen merchandise doing just this, I would not recommend buying any sort of expensive personal computers over eBay.
Click to expand...

If you choose the right seller, eBay has great deals.
Many manufacturers use eBay to auction refurbished items.

The Precision M4600 mentioned seems to trend around $350 which is a great
deal and the seller is "dell-official-store-usa-refurbished"

If eBay is the issue and not the fact you are buying refurbished, check out
any MFG outlet store... like Dell's:

http://dellrefurbished.com/

I bought an M4600 for $430 shipped to my door and that is $80 over what
I could have paid on eBay.

Only reason I didn't use eBay is I wanted to use my DPA.
Warranty and ability to return items are things to weigh between direct and via eBay.
I don't hesitate buying used/off lease/ scratch and dent from Dell Refurbished or Outlet.
Everything I have purchased came in great shape.

Other links to known names on eBay:
http://stores.ebay.com/dell
http://stores.ebay.com/lenovo
http://stores.ebay.com/Newegg
 
Netwerkz101 said:
If you choose the right seller, eBay has great deals.
Many manufacturers use eBay to auction refurbished items.
Click to expand...

And how do you determine "the right" seller?

The guy I bought from had EXCELLENT feedback and dozens of items up for sale at the time.

The cops still came and impounded my laptop.

My attempts to be reimbursed, going so far as to sue the guy and winning, failed.

eBay wouldn't do jack for me, as "we just bring together buyer and seller" (aka "We got our shekel, fuck you!).

My bank wouldn't do jack for me, since I had received the item I paid for.

The guy was renting. So my lien on him can be ignored pretty much FOREVER.
 
Chas said:
And how do you determine "the right" seller?
Click to expand...


In this case ... in the context of this thread ...easy... buy from the manufacturer that
has an eBay account and is selling equipment you wish to buy.

If I want to buy a used laptop that is manufactured by Dell and Dell sells or auctions via eBay, they are the "right seller" for me. Subjective of course ...YMMV.

Surprisingly .. Dell seems to still do their own auctions: dellauction.com
 
Sorry to the OP for straying ^^^.

I did want to mention Sager as another (Brand/MFG) possibility:

www.sagernotebook.com


I honestly don't know what's good for CAD work, but their "Workstation" series
also seem to fall in line with Dell Precision Mobile and Lenovo "W" series laptops.
 
diizzy said:
Have a look at Toshiba's Tecra Z50 series, really nice laptops/workstations.
http://www.toshiba.com/us/computers/laptops/tecra/z50
//Danne
Click to expand...

Only if you REALLY like fighting with Toshiba over warranty service. Especially when they do things like swap your screen for a smaller screen and tell you it's been that way since you bought it. Or swap out your hard drive, unasked, for a unit with a HIGHLY visible dent in it that doesn't boot, yet you're told the unit was tested as-is before it was shipped out.

Toshiba warranty "service" is the absolute worst, most heinous, shady, dishonest, crappy support I've ever had the misfortune to deal with.
 
diizzy said:
Never had any issues with Toshiba really...
//Danne
Click to expand...

Every time I've had to deal with Toshiba for warranty work, it's been like pulling teeth, through my ass, with a chainsaw...

It got to the point where I forced my purchasing department to blacklist them. The time that was being wasted fighting with them cost FAR more than simply using other parts ever would.

Now we work with our other vendors to make sure nothing we buy has overt Toshiba components anywhere. And if we find ones that do, we ask for the proper substitutions or return the product as unsuitable.
 
That said, there's always someone here who seems to have an issue with any manufacturer...
//Danne
 
True.

Toshiba just happens to be "special" for me, since my history with their support department happens to be such an egregious outlier. I mean, I've had bad/shitty support before. And I've had hostile reps here and there. But I've NEVER had such consistently shitty, hostile, shady support in such a uniform fashion ANYWHERE else.
 
Netwerkz101 said:
If you choose the right seller, eBay has great deals.
Many manufacturers use eBay to auction refurbished items.

The Precision M4600 mentioned seems to trend around $350 which is a great
deal and the seller is "dell-official-store-usa-refurbished"

If eBay is the issue and not the fact you are buying refurbished, check out
any MFG outlet store... like Dell's:

http://dellrefurbished.com/

I bought an M4600 for $430 shipped to my door and that is $80 over what
I could have paid on eBay.

Only reason I didn't use eBay is I wanted to use my DPA.
Warranty and ability to return items are things to weigh between direct and via eBay.
I don't hesitate buying used/off lease/ scratch and dent from Dell Refurbished or Outlet.
Everything I have purchased came in great shape.

Other links to known names on eBay:
http://stores.ebay.com/dell
http://stores.ebay.com/lenovo
http://stores.ebay.com/Newegg
Click to expand...

Regretfully, I feel compelled to reply/update my post in this thread.
For the first time in at least 5-7 purchases from Dell Outlet, Auction, DFSRefurbised, I got a problematic system.

The Precision M4600 I received has an issue with the display.
It is so obvious that it made me think there is no way it was missed
with a "rigorous" check up/out. Could be a lose connection from shipping..dunno.

Anyhow .. I would still buy from them again ... I guess it was a matter of time.
 
I run Solid Edge and Autocad on a Dell E-4550 with two 27" 3k resolution monitors and have great frame rate in autocad, solid edge not so much after assemblies go over 200 or so parts.
 
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